NUMBER 9 7 1999 (GISP) The Global Invasive Species Programme: Toolkit for Early Warning and Management The Global Invasive SpeciesProgramme (GISP) [SeeAliens 7], in which IUCN is a partner, held a workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 22 -27 March 1999. This meeting, which was funded primarily by the Global Environment -Facility, was a collaborative effort by two sections of GISP: the Management section (chaired by Jeff Waage of CABI Bioscience) and the Early'Waming Systems section (chaired by Mick Clout). The meeting had 29 participants (including several ISSG members), from 13 countries. Our two sections of GISP decided last year that we wo~ld cooperate closely in preparing tools to help developing countries (especially small island develop- ing states) to deal with the threats to their biodiversity which are posed by invasive species.The Kuala Lumpur workshop therefore had as its major aim the drafting of toolkit for early warning and management of invasive species problems in such developing countries. In order to do this, participants first presented the particular problems faced by their home countries, such as poor telecommunications infrastructures, or lack of awaren~ss of the invasive species problem. They then discussed what the "toolkit" might consist of; or which is the best way to reverse the increasing numbers of invasions experienced. Early warning of incipient invasions can only be achieved if people are aware of both the po~ential extent of damage, and the likelihood that it will occur. Management (not merely to prevent single species invasions, but also to re- store entire systems) will probably only be effective, firstly if early warning systems evolve and people use them, and secondly ifcontingency plans for rapid response to new invasions are designed and set in motion. Much of the Sponsored by: discussion centred a(oundmaking the document P~CTICAL and REALIS- TIC. Consensus was reached on the fonnat and content of the toolkit, which will include a manual on prevention and management of invasive species and a supporting international database on their characteristics. Both could be tai- 1ored to meet regional needs. By the end of the meeting the fIrst draft of a generic manual had been completed and there was endorsement of the design for an international invasive species database.The pilot version of this (being prepared by Sarah Lowe and Philip Thomas of ISSG) will be the databaseof Manaaki Whenua the World's 100 Worsflnvasive Species, supported by the TOTAL Foundation. Landcare Research Mick Clout (ISSG Chair) and Sarah Lowe (ISSG) ISSN: 1173-5988 1 ~ ~ :7 ~ ~~ ~<;\ v ~ ?--i t: ~ ;.;&A / ~ ~~, J t b 'l. \ ( ,.1 Mauritius \ U!teunlOn SoothAJii.. ) LJ L ~ ~ (7 ~ .New ~aland \L -'-'- v > c: c-s:- ~ .s 14 GispChristmas Toolkits Islands threatened , by ants, , usWorking Executive for WaterOrder programme " .2 16 AntsMauritiusNotesPlantNordicWhiteLigustrum on invaders Headed-DuckCountries Asian update robustum mainlandin Reunionhlitiative : , , .5 NewGeneralSouthern Pacific Disclaime1:...,AfricanWebsite Plant Invaders , 16 .6 17 .7 17 10 DOC'sSPREP's NationalInvasive weedSpecies plan Programme., ; ...18 11 ...19 ,...19 12 SubscriptionsConference on Marine Bioinvasions 13 ...20 The dramatic and rapid loss of native the hordes of brighrred land crabs that Island, with disastrous consequences. biodiversity follo",:ing the march to the seaeach year, rain forest Also known as the long-Iegged ant, introduction of the brown tree snake on the island ha's remained Anoplolepis is a well-known "tramp" to Guani, Miconia calvescens in remarkably free of alien invaders even species, and has now achieved an Tahiti, and avian malaria in Hawaii after a century of human occupation almost pan-tropical distribution. It is are unhappy legacies illustrating the and accompanying species a stowaway, traveling the world as devastating impact that single alien introductions. Christmas Island has concealed cargo; one rumour is that invaders can wreak on island life. been a rare jewel among oceanic Anoplolepis reached the island of These and other catastrophes have islands -maybe:, that is, until now. Mahe in the Seychelles hidden in a reinforced the notion that isolated bag of rice. This invasive alien ant has islands are especially vulnerable to Trouble has come to yet another wreaked untold (and usually invasion by exotic species, but we island paradise. Populations of the undocumented) environmental have always regarded Christmas introduced crilzy ant Anoplolepis damage on.maily tropical oceanic Island (Indi~ Ocean) as an exception gracilipes have now exploded in Islands, most notably Hawaii and the to the rule. Perhaps best known for undisturbed rain forest on Christmas Seychelles, through direct impacts on 2 ~ both native vertebrates and exposure to the ants. Normally, these make it. We have seen entire invertebrates. crabs are extremely abundant, migrations, involving tens of reaching a mean density and biomass thousands of red crabs, completely On Christmas Island, four key of 1.3 crabs per squaremeter and 1400 wiped out by crazy ants -in one characteristics make it a particularly kg per hectare.B y excluding red crabs supercolony we counted an average significant thre~t. First, like many from fenced experimental plots, and of six crab carcassesper squareineter. other tramp ants, Anoplolepis forms comparing them to unfenced controls, Presumably, the density of red crabs supercolonies, with multiple queens we have established that this crab is in source areas will eventually and little, if any, temtoriality between the dominant consumer on the forest decrease,with the result that seedling, colonies. Supercolonies can extend floor, controlling critical aspects of litter, and nutrient dynamics could over hectares and maintain densities ecosystem function on the island. By change dramatically even in areas far of foraging workers on the forest floor consuming le:af litter, seeds and removed from crazy ant in the order of 1000 ants per square seedlings in a broad diet, this one supercolonies. metre. Second, they- construct nests species almost single-handedly virtually anywhere, including the soil, controls the dynamics of seedling Second, without exception, ant tree hollows, beneath rocks and under recruitlnent, litter accumulation and supercotony formation has been thick leaf litter. Third, crazy ants are decay, and nutrient cycling on the assOciatedwith massive outbreaks of generalist consumers and forage islan-d. Red crabs are largely several different scale insects, the widely, being predators of a wide responsible for the very open most common and wide~pread of range of invertebrates and small understorey and mostly bare ground which is the lac scale Tachardina vertebrates both on the forest floor in the rain forest, unique structural aurantiaca. Within supercolonies, and in the canopies of large trees. features for which the island is noted. hordes of worker ants ascend the Fourth, this ant tends, protects and trunks of most large canopy trees to encourages the establishment of a In areas of supercolony formation, gather honeydew from dense variety of sap-sucking scale-insects, large tracts of forest have taken on infestations of sap-sucking scale which can be debilitating to their host characteristics which we had insects, which they then retuni to their plants. previously only seen on our small nests and distribute to other members experimental plots -the accumulation of the colony. In several areas, scale Although the crazy ant was first and persistence of a deep litter layer, outbreaks have been severeenough to reported from the island some 55 and the establishment of an incredibly causeexrensive canopy die-back, with years ago, it wasn't until 1989 that abundant and diverse seedling . a far greater p.roportion of dead and supercolony formation was first community. Similar impacts may dying trees than in nearby areas free detected, In December 1998 we even become apparentin areasremote of crazy ants. We also think that trees located supercolonies in at least eight from crazy ant supercolonies. Red infested with scale insects and their locations acrossthe island, ranging in crabs make annual breeding attendant crazy ants may be so area from several hectares to over 1 migrations, moving en massefrom the stressed, that rates of growth and krn2and totalling 2-3% of the forested forest interior to the coast to breed. f~cutldity may be significantly lower area on the island. The impact of the Most crazy ant supercolonies are at than in trees free of infestation. crazy ant within areasof supercolony lower elevations near the coast, so in formation is extraordinary. These several places, migrating red crabs Third, crazy ants directly threaten effects can be divided into three have had to traverse the supercolonies n~merous other species with high cat~gories: those associated with to reach the coast. It seemsthey never conservation value on Christmas impacts on the dominant red land crab, those associated with the probable mutualism between crazy ants and scale insects, and those related to effects on island species of special conservation value. First, crazy ants annihilate resident populations of the endemic red land crab, Gecarcoidea natalis, which is found in rain forestall over the island. At this stage it is unclear how crazy ants (5 mm long and 2 mg live weight) can kill such large crabs with heavily calcified exoskeletons (to 120 mm carapace width and >500 9 live weight), but our observations suggest that de:ath